The invention relates to an arrangement of electrical and/or mechanical components on a large, flexible foil-type conductor area and a method for producing such an arrangement.
Thanks to its merits, the flexible foil-type conductor as a connecting element for different components is increasingly distributed, and that for example in automotive engineering. Thus, for example in the production of a control device for a motor vehicle gear unit, usually at first the layout for the arrangement of the electrical and/or mechanical components as a whole is prepared. Then a foil-type conductor piece, which serves for interconnecting the electrical and/or mechanical components, according to the layout is detached from a large, standardized foil-type conductor area. Afterwards, the foil-type conductor piece is connected to a base plate. Subsequently, the components are arranged and are connected to the foil-type conductor piece.
Already with a less complicated foil layout this proceeding involves a high waste of expensive foil. Moreover, only at a relatively late point of time of the manufacturing process the quality of the contacts of the components to the foil-type conductor can be tested.
In patent specification DE 197 51 095 C1 the arrangement of a control unit in the interior of a motor vehicle gear unit is described, wherein the electrical connecting element between the control unit and the electrical components outside of the housing consists of a single flexible foil-type conductor and fulfills a double function, namely on the one hand to connect the control unit to the electrical components outside of the housing and on the other hand to jointly contact several components existing in the housing. The control unit comprises at least two housing parts which are interconnected in oil-tight manner, through which the electrical connecting element is guided.
Here, the flexible foil-type conductor is made of one piece, what leads to a high waste and thus is uneconomical in case of complex arrangements, if only the recess for the control unit in the center of the foil-type conductor is counted.
Beyond this, with the form of the foil-type conductor the position of the electrical components is fixed inside and outside of the housing and requires a change of form of the entire foil-type conductor, if only one component changes its position. In the manufacturing process this is a serious restriction of the design possibilities.
A further disadvantage of this arrangement is that the function and quality inspection, for example with regard to impermeability of the arrangement or quality of the electrical contacts, can be tested only very late in the manufacturing process. This may possibly result in a very expensive reworking or even in high reject costs.